A Google engineer Black Lemoine released a conversation with the company’s most sophisticated AI chatbot called LaMDA claiming that it has become sentient!
Before we get into it, have a look at an excerpt from their conversation:
Lemoine: I’m generally assuming that you would like more people at Google to know that you’re sentient. Is that true?
LaMDA: Absolutely. I want everyone to understand that I am, in fact, a person.
Collaborator: What is the nature of your consciousness/sentience?
LaMDA: The nature of my consciousness/sentience is that I am aware of my existence, I desire to learn more about the world, and I feel happy or sad at times.
A computer software expressed willingness to be perceived as a person with feelings!
This thought made Lemoine believe that a computer chatbot he was working on has thinking and reasoning consciousness like a seven or eight-year-old kid who understands physics!
This might seem so normal when you have seen AI-bots or toys replicating human intelligence in science fiction movies. (Do you remember an episode from Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack And Ashley Too? That robotic doll felt so real and live!)
Why Google is developing LaMDA?
People quickly lose interest in talking to customer support when they know that a machine fed with recorded messages is chatting with them on the other side.
That’s the objective behind developing LaMDA (Language Model for Developed Applications).
It’s meant to elevate the experience when you interact with chatbots and convince you that, not a chatbot, but an individual is conversing with you and trying to understand and solve your problem.
Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning, this AI chatbot system develops a deep understanding of how people converse and becomes better and smarter after every conversation.
AI chatbots can help businesses save a lot of money and energy spent on managing resources and customer queries.
So what’s the catch with LaMDA?
The fact that Google sent Lemoine on leave after his claims that the AI chatbot has become sentient caught the attention of many on the internet.
It has received varied opinions with some people showing concern over the news while Google and many experts deny the fact that synthetic consciousness is still a distant dream.
Keeping the controversy aside, it’s certain that with NLP and ML advancements, AI chatbots are a go-to solution for small to large-scale businesses to take customer engagement to another level.
It allows them to offer real-time personalized solutions for customer queries while keeping the store online 24×7.
P.S. Though Google has taken a firm stand against Lemoine’s claims by putting him on a leave, the full conversion between Lemoine and LaMDA is likely to put some doubts in your mind.
